WINDHOEK – The Popular Democratic Movement Youth League (PDMYL) has promised to fight for the many prospective students who performed exceptionally well in Grade 12 during 2019 final exams and qualify for tertiary education, but are unable to afford the high registration fees required by local universities.
The PDMYL, in particular, vowed to fight for those needy students who qualify for state funding through the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
The youth wing spokesperson Maximilliant Katjimune yesterday said in line with the manifesto of the mother body, PDMYL is of the strong view that registration fees at an institution of higher learning must be scrapped for those students who have passed Grade 12 and qualify for NSFAF funding.
More than 10 500 learners, out of 24 932, who sat for the Grade 12 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) Ordinary Level examination last year, qualify for admission to tertiary institutions for degree courses.
This is slightly better compared to 9 524 learners who qualified for university admission in 2018. According to education deputy minister Anna Nghipondoka, this shows an improvement of 1.7 percent, with 987 more candidates qualifying for university admission.
The deputy minister added that 23.3 percent of the 10 511 learners, representing 5 821 candidates, qualify for university admission with a C or 3 and better grade in English at respective levels.
“We are going to fight with the Students’ Union of Namibia [SUN] for free registration at institutions of higher learning. If you pass Grade 12 and you qualify for NSFAF, there is no reason why you must pay that N$5 590 at Unam and N$4 800 for NUST. It’s unacceptable and we must address it with the contempt it deserves,” Katjimune noted.
Current and prospective Namibian students of the University of Namibia are required to pay a compulsory minimum deposit fee of N$5 590 for the 2020 academic year.
Unam notified that students registering with an acknowledgment letter of NSFAF should pay the registration fee of N$2 190 plus the required deposit for campus accommodation.
The SADC students are required to pay N$10 190, while non-SADC students will pay N$18 590. All these fees are payable at registration which starts next week.
Meanwhile, for the NUST, registration and deposit fees which are payable at registration is N$4 800 for undergraduate and honours degree, while for masters and doctorate degrees is N$8 400.
These payable fees at registration also include NSFAF funded students.
Katjimune argued registration fees should never be a barrier to university for deserving students.
He said higher education, must be free, especially for those students who are enrolled in key faculties such as science, engineering and medicine.